Dar directs BoI to formulate long term investment plan

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 (APP): Minister for Finance Mohammad Ishaq Dar Wednesday directed the Board of Investment (BoI) for formulating a long term investment plan focusing on sectors which had potential to absorb maximum investments and create more job opportunities in country.

The minister held a meeting with Chairman BoI Miftah Ismail and Special Advisor to Prime Minister on Revenue Haroon Akhtar Khan to review the measures to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and improve local investment in the country.

He asked BoI to take input from the private sector to make the plan more inclusive and beneficial. The plan, later, would be presented to the prime minister for further consideration.

The minister said the present government since its inception had promoted policies that could facilitate the investment both foreign and local in the country.

We had worked on improving the transparency in operations and taken measures to build the image of the country in the World at large; now our approach should be to reap the benefits of the changed perceptions, he added.

Chairman BoI Miftah Ismail briefed the minister on the current situation of the foreign direct investment in the country and steps being taken to make the country more attractive destination for investors both foreign and local.

Chairman BoI said as the country had been making progress on the economic front, there was a need to put in place measures to ensure an enabling environment by enhancing the ease of doing business in the country.